Compound adjectives are formed by combining two or more words that together modify a noun. When placed before the noun, they are usually hyphenated. Understanding when and how to form them makes your writing more precise and natural.
When a number + noun is used as an adjective before another noun, hyphenate it. "A two-hour meeting." "A five-day course." "A ten-storey building." Notice the noun in the compound is singular even if the number is more than one: "a three-week holiday" (not "three-weeks"). When used after the noun as a predicate, no hyphen: "The meeting was two hours long."
Practice
Which is correct?
We stayed in ahotel near the beach.
Put the words in the correct order:
Many compound adjectives combine other types of words: adjective + noun: "good-natured", "short-sighted"; noun + adjective: "world-famous", "snow-white"; adverb + past participle: "well-known", "badly-designed"; adjective + past participle: "old-fashioned", "open-minded"; noun + present participle: "time-consuming", "thought-provoking". These are hyphenated before the noun.
Practice
She is a ___ person — always ready to listen.
The documentary was very. I couldn't stop thinking about it.
Put the words in the correct order: